


Magic Hands

by WonderWells



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Black Eagles House, Elemental Magic, F/M, I just really like Linhardts hands okay, Magic Lessons, Magic-Users, Major Original Character(s), OC, Original Character(s), Original Character-centric, Other, Teaching, hand holding, magic for improper uses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-17
Updated: 2019-10-17
Packaged: 2020-12-21 00:00:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21065375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WonderWells/pseuds/WonderWells
Summary: “Show me magic so I can understand. For war, for peace. To understand how this whole crest thing works even more. Magic is in you and I want to know more about you.” - Linhardt could have said no, but he didn't. Instead, opening the door to his room, palm outstretched, waiting for Aliel to take his hand. If Aliel wanted to know more about magic, and Linhardt wanted to go back to his nap, the best way out of a situation was just to get it over with.





	Magic Hands

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! Welcome to my first OC - Canon character fic. Really, I don't think I've ever written a ship with my OC before. But really, this is just a self-projection so I can hold Linhardt's hand. Minor background characters, and mostly just setting up backstory for my OC as she is still a WIP. But she's got a crush on Linhardt, so let's get this ball rolling.

For outsiders, Garreg Mach monastery seemed like a rich kid school that only trained those who were lucky enough or had enough privilege to score a spot. But to everyone who took the time to understand the monastery knew it was something more. From rich and poor, new and old, the monastery was constantly changing. Something new to learn, to train, to see, everything was constantly moving. 

And sure, getting into the prestigious officer’s academy was no easy feat. It is true it relies on luck and money to an extent, but many were there due to talent as well. Such students were those like Aliel. At a young age, she knew she had to get into the Officers Academy to continue her path in seeking rightful justice and revenge against her noble lineage. And while she does admit in some part of it being luck, as the ‘Festival of Feats’ was on her 17th birthday, (the youngest age to be able to participate in the territorial tournament,) she no doubt attributes most of her win to skill. After defeating her vile father’s strongest knight, and revealing herself as the lost noble of House Aduantas, winning herself a favor from the same father and duke that tried to kill her at birth - Aliel now is a couple of months already into her studies at Garreg Mach.

While by geological reference she finds herself in Black Eagles, she feels no allegiance to the somewhat stuffy atmosphere surrounding the prestigious house. While knowing she could ask to join another class at any time, she could honestly care less about her alliances. Especially given the fact that all houses have nobles and royalty who think that their birth means some sort of recognition; thus by some loyalist tradition they continue a traditionalist lineage because of some random crest bearing system assigned at birth. Aliel hated that the most. Being crest-less has set her life on a constant struggle since the moment she was born. The separation of pauper and pageantry, noble and commoner, all almost guaranteed by if one bears lineage to some significance they have no part in with the only representation being an insignia granted with power.

While she can admit that crests do have extraordinary abilities, the idea that nobles think they are better only for crests is theatrical nonsense in her eyes. But alas, if it wasn’t for her lifelong determination to overthrow that ideal she wouldn’t be here now - sitting in Black Eagles classroom listening to Edelgard speak about...well honestly she hadn’t been paying attention.

She had been busy looking over to Linhardt who was fast asleep on his open textbook, their mutual acquaintance Bernadetta folding paper cranes and other animals before passing them to Caspar to stack around the unconscious boy. Edelgard seemed to be closing up her lecture, and with Hubert’s help dismissed the class. Aliel was about to walk out but looked back, noticing Linhardt not only hasn’t moved but no one seemed to have awoken him. She sighed to herself lightly, for she knew she had a small weakness for him. While he was undoubtedly lazy when it came to anything he didn’t personally take interest in, and likewise unmotivated for training and fighting alike, she knew they both shared something of an interest. Researching crests and studying being the primary similarity. 

While Aliel researches crests for a different personal reason, she had become rather close to Linhardt after he found herself listening rather intently to a personal discussion he was having with a lengthy and unresponsive textbook over a complicated issue he was running into with hero’s relics. She didn’t particularly have an interest in crests as a scholarly motive, but more so wanted to know everything about them to better understand how nobles and commoners were not so different after all. Likewise, due to her father having a minor crest, she wanted to be prepared for when she one day faced her noble line and broke the barriers that held the entirety of Fodlan.

In any case, in this instance, she felt a bit guilty at the thought of walking away leaving Linhardt there to wake with a sore neck if he slept any longer. With a short stride to his desk and lance set aside, she sat next to the boy, leaning in and admiring the soft and delicate features Linhardt possessed. He was beautiful, she thought, radiant in his own way and enlightening. Most people knew he was intelligent beyond most, but because of his lack of motivation and general laziness, those people also seemed to overlook him without a second thought. 

Aliel knew he was different though. He was incredible. She couldn’t, well...didn’t want to stop herself when she brushed his hair out of his face, tucking it behind his ear to get a better look. His head sat on his folded arms, resting face towards Aliel. He didn’t snore, barely making a sound at all. Aliel knew they were different in so many ways, but she couldn’t help but be captivated by him. It may be due to the fact she had an emotional blind spot for him, but she didn’t particularly acknowledge or care about it. She had other priorities, other things to focus on and not a lot of time. 

She closed her eyes for a moment, resting her elbow on the wooden surface to have her cheek in her hand, unsure of how to wake the boy without truly disturbing him. But when she looked back she saw two piercing blue eyes stare right into her. 

“Your think so loudly,” Linhardt deadpanned. Aliel’s eyebrows rose in surprise and a quick flash of embarrassment dusted a blush on her cheeks, but reeled in her thoughts enough to reply, “And here I thought the master of rest could sleep through anything.” 

Linhardt sat up and stretched, looking down at his half-finished notes as he rubbed his eyes to wake up. “I’m assuming Edelgard and the others had a reasonable discussion about another strategy against whatever bandits or thieves were going up against next?” “More or less. Your rest seemed more productive than going over the fact that our magic users should provide a bit more support to help ensure a winning strategy.” Linhardt looked over to the board where his name was written and a star placed next to it, dictating that he was one of their strongest magic users. Of course, he was, he didn’t practice a single actual combat training method outside of magic. And he would keep it that way as long as possible if he could help it. 

Aliel’s mouth scowled a bit, biting back a small “tsk” and swinging her legs around to lean back against the desk with her arms crossed. “A problem with the strategy? Besides the fact she seems inclined to have me on the battlefield,” Linhardt guessed, generally curious. “It’s not that, I just - I feel useless because I don’t have...well...a crest.” Aliel didn’t hide the fact she didn’t have a crest. She sort of wore her ideals in a ‘yes I don’t have a crest, but do not bring it up unless you have something good to say about it’ sort of way. 

She frowned deeply, clenching her jaw and side-eyeing Linhardt, hoping he would continue. “Magic isn’t all it’s cut out to be sometimes,” Linhardt eventually started after a small pause, moving to gather his things. “It still hurts others. Just like any other weapon. Mine just happens to be one that will never be apart from me. Stop thinking that just because you can’t do something it means you can’t help in other ways.” Linhardt slightly motioned to the lance sitting next to Aliel. She didn’t go anywhere without it in eyesight. “There’s more to magic and crests than power though,” Linhardt continued as he began walking towards the entrance of the classroom, “Magic is more than just another weapon of war. Don’t bother with the effort of feeling bad for yourself if you can’t do anything about it.” 

Aliel’s eyes quickly moved to watch Linhardt leave after that statement, unsure of what to make of what he said. Especially considering that was probably the most he said all day. All the weapons and tools they used were far more versatile with some imagination and creative liberty. This was something she knew quite well. After all, she could never forget the story Flayn described to her about Felix and some fruit, but magic was...different. She had seen fire magic used for wood burning and cooking to some degree, but otherwise, she didn’t understand how magic worked all that well. She could never understand it and she knew that. 

Aliel studied almost every book she gotten her hands-on, asked other students for demonstrations on magic, and even tried tuning into the mystic arts herself, but nothing ever felt real. She couldn’t understand it. And that alone made her furious, frustrated, and almost embarrassed. How could she overcome any enemy or anything thrown her way if she couldn’t understand magic?! 

Aliel picked up Ackion - her lance - and made her way towards Linhardt’s dorm. She needed to understand. Aliel knocked at the boy’s door, not hearing anyone inside, but that was not uncommon. “Linhardt, I need to talk to you.” 

She knew she could ask anyone for help. Hannerman for starters, given that he was a professor and what seemed to be like Linhardt’s mentor from the past interactions she has seen. Or even Lysithea, one of her probably closest friends and strongest mage in the Golden Deer house. Possibly even Dorothea for they both had mutual respect and understanding as commoners given the circumstances. But she wanted to talk to Linhardt more. He had a way of making things seem understandable, or more complicated but somehow calmer in a convoluted way. His open bluntness and genuine passive nature had a good effect on her.

After waiting a moment with no response she openly sighed and grunted in annoyance. Aliel decided she might as well wait. Linhardt could be anywhere, and finding him if he knew someone was looking for him was more work than it should have been. She knew this considering the last time she pined for his attention was the day after she snuck into the hallway outside of Hannerman and Linhardt’s private session on Crestology. She found many topics confusing and particularly hard to grasp, so when she tried to find Linhardt the next day after asking all over creation about his whereabouts, he was more or less nowhere to be found. If he didn’t want to be known he wouldn’t be. 

After a few long-awaited moments the door to Linhardt’s room opened, and out came the familiar green-haired boy looking down at Aliel sitting on the stone steps. “You’re more patient and stubborn than most. I’ll commend you for that.” Aliel smiled up at Linhardt, using her lance as leverage to help herself up off the ground. 

Dusting her dress off and giving off the most sickeningly sweet smile she could muster, she took in a deep breath before announcing, “Show me magic.” Linhardt yawned into his hand slightly, but enough to be caught; so Aliel tried her moving speech again. 

“Show me magic so I can understand. For war, for peace. To understand how this whole crest thing works even more. Magic is in you and I want to know more about you.” Aliel tried to keep a straight face, but a slight blush at explaining herself caused her to become a tad meek after her words. 

“I mean - if you want to of course! I could always ask someone else - I know it’s a lot to ask and - and you don’t like -“ “You want to learn something only I can apparently help with?”

Linhardt cut her words off. He didn’t understand the babbling sometimes. Bernadetta did the same thing and honestly, it was too much effort to try and explain further. Aliel ran a hand through her long rich maroon hair that flowed over her right shoulder, swallowing a lump that suddenly formed in her throat. 

“Yes. Teach me.” “While teaching sounds exhausting and too much effort, come in and I’ll just show you. I figured since you were willing to more than likely wait for me all day, it seems this will be faster and less bothersome than telling someone as stubborn as you ‘no.’” 

Aliel didn’t particularly know how showing would help versus what everyone else had done. She had everyone she could think of already showing her magic in some form or another. But this was different. This was in Linhardt’s room - his private dorm. Not on the training grounds or in the classroom.

Aliel’s blush reformed as Linhardt took a seat on the edge of his bed as she stood dumbly in the center of the arguably messy space, closing the door behind her out of habit polite. While not entirely the cleanest person herself, the scattered books and pages were a bit hard to not notice strewn about. 

Linhardt didn’t even acknowledge that in the slightest though. Instead, he asked, “Are you going to just stand there like a statue or sit and relax? You’re making me feel stiff just from looking at you.” Aliel was about to just sit on the floor when Linhardt sighed deeply, dramatically stating, “No - up here. You need to be close by or you won’t be able to feel properly.” 

Aliel was skeptical at best. She could see and feel a fireball from over 30 yards away, and static when a thunder spell was cast within range. But she did as she was told, watching Linhardt carefully as she slowly sat next to the green-haired boy on the edge of the sheets. She felt a bit invasive in such a close space and proximity. While not touching, just close, Linhardt’s presence felt like a late spring’s sun in the afternoon. Warm, inviting, and incredibly addicting to just rest into. She wanted to keep her face passive and neutral, but Aliel couldn’t help a small twitch in her lip when Linhardt held out his hand and said, “Give me your hand.” She shrimped back a little, genuinely not used to being asked for physical contact, but Linhardt waited with his palm out. 

Aliel calmed a second later, knowing that it wasn’t a trick or prank, but an open and waiting invitation. Linhardt stretched his fingers a bit, lowering his eyelids minutely as boredom and drowsiness were fast approaching. But Aliel didn’t want to lose her appeal. Linhardt granted her his interest for a moment - which she knew was no small feat for generally anyone. With an imperceptible shudder, she placed her hand on top of Linhardt’s, palm facing down on his open right hand. 

It was warm, so incredibly and inhumanly warm. Like a fireplace in winter, but it didn’t burn. It was open, and she leaned into the touch, roaming her fingers down to his wrist and pressing firmly into his palm. Linhardt moved a bit closer, bringing his legs up to sit cross-legged as he leaned in. With his other hand, he summoned a small blizzard spell and placed it on top of Aliel’s hand laying on Linhardt’s palm. She jolted a bit at the sudden coolness but kept her eyes on her hand as she brought her legs up as well, careful to keep the underside of her boots off the sheets. 

Fully facing Linhardt, the temperature difference was unsettling, but not unwelcome. Especially against the softest skin she probably has ever felt. Linhardt looked up at Aliel’s focused and intent face in slight wonder and concealed amusement as he took his cold hand away and began to cast a bit of a larger spell. 

His left hand began to glow yellow, feeling the ebb and weave of energy flow through him. But something was different this time. Aliel’s contact and pressure sent his senses into overdrive. Despite not using any high degree of magic, the sheer contact sent a shiver through him, making Aliel’s eyes look up to him. Linhardt was frozen in place by the blue eyes she held, clear as crystal but piercing like ice. 

“Linhardt?” He coughed slightly to the side, both his hands occupied, bringing back his attention. He needed to focus and concentrate if this was going to work properly. 

Suddenly, a circular vortex of air began spinning around the room. Not fast, but enough to cause their hair to fly in a mess, the sheets on the floor to be rustled and thrown around at random. Linhardt couldn’t care less, he was looking only at Aliel as she leaned up like she wanted to float into the air herself. 

Linhardt could feel Aliel’s pulse racing because of him. He didn’t know what else to do in the tiny space. While magic had an incredible amount of uses, the effort to keep it all controlled and contained was a bit of a toll. Especially with his own heart racing for more than one reason.

Aliel closed her eyes as she took in a breath, head lolling to the side slightly as a smile formed on her lips. Linhardt’s left hand found its way to Aliel’s cheek, warming it slightly with another fire spell. Aliel leaned into his fingers, her other hand curling slightly into Linhardt’s palm.

She opened her eyes slightly, peering at Linhardt through her lashes and said, “Does magic feel good too?” Linhardt didn’t know what to say or how to say it, but all he knew was that this moment with Aliel felt better than any feeling he had in a while. A small but noticeable blush formed on his pale skin, his heart was beating a mile a minute, and worst of all he wanted to continue to amaze her. Goddess be damned he would use all his energy for the next week just to have Aliel’s interest. 

“Not better than sleeping I can assure you.” Aliel began to shift, taking Linhardt’s hand on her cheek before pressing her lips softly to the warm palm. Aliel brought both their hands up to be clasped together, looking directly at Linhardt before stating, “Maybe there is something more to this that you can help teach again soon.” “Honestly, it’s not much to understand. You don’t have a crest. But I can...” 

Linhardt wanted to choose his words carefully. The display of affection caused his thoughts to scatter. He had no idea how to take in everything, and the closeness in both proximity and newfound emotions had his thoughts jumbled. 

“But I will always let you borrow my power. Just not during nap time.” Aliel openly grinned and nodded her head, breaking eye contact and trying not to seem too excited about Linhardt’s open invitation to spend time with him again. Aliel stood up, gathering her things, somewhat quickly moving to leave before Linhardt turned to her, catching up to the sudden shift. 

“I might need some more pointers. I think I might need your help with another lesson tomorrow. Say around maybe 5 pm before the dinner bell at the tea garden. Then we can go from there?” Aliel ran on, twisting her hands around the shaft of her lance. A nervous habit, but one that kept her grounded nonetheless. Linhardt hummed for a second before leaning over in a dramatic display of getting up to grab a random paper that flew into the ground in front of them, looking at the note intently for a moment before drawing out, “According to my schedule tomorrow I should be free as long as Ferdinand doesn’t get the bright idea to start telling me to be a “proper noble” or something like that.” 

Aliel smiled, nodding again before turning to open the door back to the monastery. She left with a wave, leaving Linhardt to slowly lower his arms and drop the paper to the ground as he closed the door. He paced for a second before dropping into his bed, hands pushing on his forehead and groaning frustratingly at the turn of events. On the other side of the now closed-door, Aliel sat on the steps in front of Linhardt’s room, chucking her lance in the ground a couple of times in an embarrassingly frustrated attempt at trying to physically work her emotions out. After a few stabs she made her way to the training ground, all the while not able to stop thinking about her open invitation for tomorrow’s “lesson.”


End file.
